Vienna
I arrived in Vienna in Austria from Bratislava in Slovakia, by train for 16 euros (£12). It took 1 hour and I bought my ticket from the train station on the day of departure with no problems.
Vienna is the capital of Austria. It’s artistic and intellectual legacy was shaped by residents including Mozart, Beethoven and Sigmund Freud. The city is also known for its Imperial palaces and Vienna is a dream city for anyone with a romantic heart or a love for history with it history quarters. Wander along narrow, medieval alleyways or across imperial squares, view Schönbrunn Palace or the Imperial Palace in the footsteps of Sissi and Emperor Franz Josef, and marvel at the majestic architecture along the Ring boulevard.
Vienna’s city is beautiful with lots of architectural buildings and monuments around every corner.
Hotels were a little more expensive in Vienna than I expected which made me wonder how expensive the rest of Vienna would be, but it was quite a surprise, to find lots of things to do that wasn’t to expensive.
Vienna is a city with a lot to offer from the museum quarters to great night life and streets packed full of coffee bars to sit back, relax.
The food in Vienna really is packed full of flavour and much different than other eastern parts of Europe, I had dumplings one night and although they sound boring they really wasn’t. The dumplings were full of crispy bacon pieces and packed full of flavour with herbs and seasoned to a perfect mouth water taste, The dumplings were cooked perfectly with a little crunch on the outside and nice and soft in the middle. it was on a bed of what I believe was sage mash and an onion gravy served on the side. This is just the start of the delicious food you can get in Vienna let alone the famous coffee Vienna is renown for to finish off with.
Vienna really is a beautiful city packed with things to do in order to keep you active, Vienna is a must visit, so be sure to add this to your bucket list.
Getting from Vienna airport to the city centre of Vienna
Vienna Airport
Vienna’s Airport is approximately 20 km from the city centre.
Vienna’s city airport train (CAT) will take you to the city centre for 11 euros (£9) and will take 6 minutes.
Vienna’s public train S7 will take you to the centre around 4 euros (£3) and will take 35 minutes.
Both Vienna train’s use the same tracks however the CAT train doesn’t make any stops.
Vienna’s airport Bus will take you to the city centre for 8 euros (£6) and will take 44 minutes.
Travelling Around Vienna
For travel within the city of Vienna, the Vienna Travel Card gives unlimited free travel on the underground, trams and buses.
A weekly travel pass costs 16.20 euros
A 48- hour travel pass costs 13.30 euros
A 24- hour travel pass cost 7.60 euros
Do not forget to activate your travel card on the first journey or face a big fine.
At every tube stop you will find a small blue ticket machine to activate your card, as well as inside the trams and buses themselves. You must slot your travel card into the machine to stamp and activate it. The first time you do this will be the activation date and time of your travel card. From then, the travel card will be valid for the duration of your ticket; 24 or 48 hours.
Lots of companies in Vienna run boat trips along the Danube, if you are travelling to Slovakia or Hungary you can take the boat rather than the bus or train.
Click the Logo for the great company I used for my Vienna card.
Austria’s, Vienna Card
The Vienna Card gives you more than 210 discounts at museums and sights, theatres and concerts, in shops, cafés, restaurants, the ‘Heurige’ wine tavern, and free travel on Vienna’s public transport system for 48 or 72 hours.
48 hours: 22 euros (£17)
72 hours: 25 euros (£20)
If you’re in Vienna for a few days I really would recommend getting the Vienna card as each attraction itself can cost around 12 euros (£9), around 4 attractions at a discounted price and you’ve saved.
My perfect hotel in Vienna, Austria.
Click, image for link.
Highly recommended for the spa area.
Accommodation, Eating and Drinking in Vienna, Austria
Hotels and hostels budget for every price range:
Hostel’s in the centre of Vienna can be found for around 18 euros (£14) per person.
3- star hotels with 2 sharing a double room with breakfast can be found from around 50 euros (£40).
4- star hotels with 2 sharing a double room with breakfast and spa facilities can be found for around 88 euros (£70).
Or
If you’d rather, you could find a 5 star hotel for 500 euros (£395).
Restaurants in the central area of Vienna are expensive, ways to save on food is to eat in the cheaper student areas like Neubau or Josefstadt. You can also head to the Naschmarkt which has over 120 market stalls selling food and drink.
If you’re looking for a 3- course meal in a mid- range restaurant you could expect to pay 30 euros (£23) and a beer for 3 euros (£2).
If you were to look for a single course meal in an inexpensive restaurant you could expect to pay 10 euros (£8).
Nightlife
For nightlife in Vienna, Vienna has a great nightlife with good bar crawls, Aim for the travel shack and they will guide you in the right direction for a wild bar crawl and great night life in Vienna, drink prices were an average U.K price. This pub crawl really makes for a good night out in Vienna.night life in Vienna, drink prices were an average U.K price. This pub crawl really makes for a good night out in Vienna.night life in Vienna, drink prices were an average U.K price. This pub crawl really makes for a good night out in Vienna.
Museums and Galleries
No trip is complete without visiting the museum quarters, Vienna has a great selection of museums, but with many entry fees around 16 euros, the costs can add up quick. There are ways to save, most museums have reduced price tickets for students and seniors, and good discounts with the Vienna Card ranging from 10% to 50%. You can also buy joint tickets for various combinations of museums that save on the full entry fees. Several of the city’s museums have discounted entry on certain days and times so be sure to look at for this.
Museums worth a visit In Vienna, Austria
Vienna Museum of Natural History, also known as the NHMW, is a large natural history museum located in Vienna, Austria.
The Ephesos Museum in Vienna displays antiquities from the city of Ephesus, in modern- day Turkey. Begun in the late 19th century, the collection includes original works of sculpture and architecture, and belongs to the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
The Jewish Museum Vienna, is a museum of Jewish history, life and religion in Austria.
Military History Institute in Vienna is the leading museum of the Austrian Armed Forces.
The Museum of Art Fakes is a museum of faked and forged artworks that opened in Vienna, Austria in 2005. This small, privately run museum in the Landstraße district is the only one of its kind in the German- speaking world.
The Albertina is a museum in the Innere Stadt of Vienna, Austria. It houses one of the largest and most important print rooms in the world with approximately 65,000 drawings and approximately 1 million old master prints.
Things to do and must see’s whilst in Vienna, Austria
You must visit St Stephen’s Cathedral which is free entry, but if you want to climb the 329 steps to the top of the tower, it costs 4.50 euros which have great views of the city centre. Also look out for the tour of the boneyard which was around 4 euros as this isn’t to be missed, Under the Cathedral lies the grave of Duke Rudolf IV.
The Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria, also called the Capuchin Crypt, is a burial chamber beneath the Capuchin Church and monastery, founded in 1618 and dedicated in 1632.
The Palmenhaus Schönbrunn is a large greenhouse in Vienna, Austria, featuring plants from around the world.
The Burgtheater, originally known as K.K. Theatre an der Burg, then until 1918 as the K.K. Hofburgtheater, is the Austrian National Theatre in Vienna and one of the most important German language theatres in the world.
The Jesuit Church, also known as the University Church, is a two- floor, double- tower church in Vienna,
Vast market with 16th- century origins, with more than 100 food & vintage stalls.
Also plenty of churches and cathedrals to pop in, however a few have an admission fee.
Free things to do Whilst in Vienna, Austria
Take a stroll around the Ringstrasse, the ring road that runs around the centre of Vienna, past some of the city’s most famous buildings. Along the route, you can see the Vienna State Opera, The City Hall and The Imperial Palace . In late January there is a skating rink in front of the City Hall, I didn’t get to see this as I was a few days early but heard it was great and worth the visit.
It’s free to visit the city’s parks, like the Burggarten and Stadtpark.
Schönbrunn Palace gardens are also free however it was 4 euros to visit the maze.
The Kahlenberg is a mountain (484 m) in the 19th district of Vienna ( Döbling ) on the border of Klosterneuburg and the most famous lookout point on Vienna. Bus 38A
Also plenty of churches and cathedrals to pop in, however, a few have an admission fee.
